For the first night of Hanukkah…

So. Much. Hanukkah.

With the festival of lights starting this evening (are you ready to light the menorah? Check out our new video for candle lighting instructions, below, if you’re unsure or just want a refresher), this week I’m bringing you a Hanukkah hodgepodge.

Let’s start with the folks at BBYO/Panim, who have a great new resource. In Those Days, At This Time links the history of Hanukkah to the virtues of service and advocacy today – and tomorrow! Be sure to watch their video guide and start a conversation as you light the candles in your homes.

Hanukkah always bring out new music, and this year there’s plenty to choose from:
[list]
[*] – Matisyahu turns pop singer with “Miracle,” his new Hanukkah song;[/*]
[*] – the a cappella group from Yeshiva University, the Maccabeats, has reworked “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz to bring us Candlelight;[/*]
[*] – from Chana Rothman, Naomi Less, and Sara Aroeste comes “A New Light,” recorded in Hebrew, English, and Ladino (available streaming or as free download);[/*]
[*] – Fa La Freezing by My First Earthquake is a cute holiday song – with a bonus interfaith angle;[/*]
[*] – and Bible Raps brings us Light Is in the Air.[/*][/list]

And if you want to sing your own songs, Original Jewish has compiled a whole bunch of them, and offers up the songs for download in English, Hebrew, and transliteration.

Looking for a new spin on the Hanukkah story?  chanukah:s9ln24lm">G-dcast Spins Hanukkah in this retelling of the history of the holiday. Meanwhile, PunkTorah gives you the whole story in 62 seconds, below. (You can also check them out doing a live candle lighting tonight, Dec. 1st at 7pm EST, on OneShul.org.) Meanwhile, Storahtelling has Judy the Maccabee for the preschooler in all of us.

Jennie at ModernTribe has some fun Hanukkah swag (and you might recognize our favorite kosher pig amongst the gift ideas!).

For those of you who are creative DIYers, check out the Lifehacker DIY Holiday Contest. (My favorite entry thus far? The Peznorah!)

And, lastly, I leave you with this video, below, made by teens of the Gay-Straight Alliance at the A. J. Heschel School in New York, shared by Keshet, encouraging us all to make our communities more welcoming as we light the menorah tonight.

Happy Hanukkah!

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